Liam Delap netted his debut goal for Chelsea in a commanding 3–0 victory over Tunisian champions Esperance on Tuesday, securing the Blues a place in the last 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup.
The match, held in sweltering conditions at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, saw Chelsea bounce back from their previous 3–1 defeat to Flamengo. Goals from Tosin Adarabioyo and Delap in first-half stoppage time set the tone, before Tyrique George added a third deep into added time. A crowd of 32,937 fans witnessed the Premier League side’s solid performance.
Delap’s breakthrough came in his third appearance for Chelsea. Manager Enzo Maresca praised the young forward’s positioning and persistence: “Against Flamengo he had three clear chances to score… We know Liam is going to score goals with us, we don’t have any doubts about that.”
Chelsea finished second in Group D behind Flamengo, while Esperance were eliminated from the competition. The London club now prepares to face Benfica in Charlotte on Saturday. Benfica advanced after defeating Bayern Munich to top Group C. The fixture marks the first clash between the two sides since Chelsea’s 2013 Europa League final triumph.
Maresca acknowledged the challenge ahead: “Benfica is a top club with a top manager and top players… from 32 we are now in the last 16 and the next target is to try to be in the last eight.”
Following the Flamengo loss, Maresca rotated heavily—making eight changes to the starting XI. Delap, Enzo Fernandez, and Malo Gusto retained their spots, while academy talent Josh Acheampong also featured.
“Playing every three days in this heat is not possible without rotating. The ones who played were good… now it’s about recovery and trying to win the next game,” Maresca added.
Chelsea controlled most of the first half, but clear chances were limited. Acheampong’s low drive was saved on 36 minutes, and Fernandez fired narrowly wide from the edge of the area. The breakthrough came in first-half stoppage time when Fernandez delivered a free-kick for Adarabioyo to head home.
Just two minutes later, Fernandez turned provider again, feeding Delap who turned smartly in the box and finished with a low strike to open his Chelsea account.
Temperatures remained high throughout the evening, forcing both sides to make several changes. Mamadou Sarr and Andrey Santos made their first Chelsea appearances since joining from Strasbourg.
A potential Chelsea penalty was overturned by VAR after a Santos shot brushed the hand of Yassine Meriah, but the third goal eventually arrived in the dying seconds. Substitute Tyrique George capitalized on a goalkeeping error to seal the win.
Despite the defeat, Esperance coach Maher Kanzari reflected positively: “We came up against a team from the very highest level and were dominated, but we didn’t disgrace ourselves.”
What you should know
Chelsea cruised into the last 16 of the Club World Cup with a 3–0 win over Esperance, highlighted by Liam Delap’s first goal for the club. With Benfica next in line, Enzo Maresca’s rotated squad will aim to continue their momentum in pursuit of the quarterfinals.
